Opinion Leader Research

John Baron: To ask the Solicitor-General how much the Law Officers' Departments have paid Opinion Leader Research in each financial year since 2003-04.

Vera Baird: The Law Officer's Departments have made no payments to Opinion Leader Research since 2003-04.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former members of each of the armed forces re-enlisted in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: The table provides the number of personnel re-enlisted to the UK Regular Forces(1) by Service in each of the last five financial years.
	
		
			   Naval Service( 2)  Army( 3)  Royal Air Force 
			 2003-04 n/a 540 90 
			 2004-05 n/a 400 40 
			 2005-06 n/a 410 20 
			 2006-07(4) n/a 640 n/a 
			 2007-08(4) n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available (1) UK Regular Forces include Nursing Services and exclude Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas and mobilised reservists. (2 )Naval Service date cannot be provided because although some re-entrants are logged on the system it is thought this is only part of the re-entrant population. (3) Financial year 2006-07 is for an 11 month period from 1 April 2006 to 28 February 2007. (4 )Post JPA implementation (RAF from 1 April 2006, Naval Service from 1 October 2006 and Army from 1 April 2007) information on the number of re-enlisted personnel is unavailable.  Note: Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Armed Forces: Training

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trainees completed the Military Annual Training Test 7 in each of the last three years; what the pass rate was in each year; what work is carried out in order to determine the choice of question and effectiveness of training in each subject area; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of the test.

Bob Ainsworth: Military Annual Training Test 7 (MATT 7)—Operational Law—was created and implemented as mandatory for all officers and soldiers on 1 August 2008. Prior to that, Operational Law was taught within MATT 6.
	There are hundreds of courses available to Army trainees, which vary in length from a few days to many months and which have varying requirements for encompassing MATT 7.
	During phase one training the Law of Armed Conflict is taught and tested, although there is no requirement for trainees at this stage to complete MATT 7.
	Phase two training varies in length and content between each of the Arms and Services; as a result, the requirement for them to undertake operational law training also varies. For those phase two trainees whose course is less than six months in length, MATT 7 is not mandated. For those on a phase two course which will last more than six months, MATT 7 is mandated.
	At 2 March 2009 5077 trainees were recorded as having completed MATT 7. Officers and soldiers of the Field Army are required to pass MATT 7 annually and it is routinely-completed during pre-deployment training. Validation of the training is carried out by the Army's Directorate of Training ensuring standards are maintained across the Army.
	I have placed a copy of the latest version of the test in the Library of the House.

Defence: Equipment

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial value is ascribed to  (a) a soldier's life and  (b) general troop safety in undertaking economic analysis to appraise (i) new defence equipment and (ii) upgrading of existing defence equipment; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Davies) gave on 13 January 2009,  Official  Report, columns 557-58W.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down his Department's Spring Supplementary Estimates 2009-10 on the same basis as in the answer of 14 July 2008 to the hon. Member for Aldershot,  Official Report, column 167W, on departmental public expenditure.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Gerald Howarth:
	I undertook to write to the hon. Member in answer to his Parliamentary Question on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1366W about the Department's Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2009-10.
	A copy of the tables, which provide a detailed breakdown of the Department's Spring Supplementary Estimates 2008/09, which I have interpreted as being the appropriate year, and a copy of my letter have been placed in the Library of the House.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fast jet aircraft of each type there are in  (a) the Royal Air Force and  (b) the forward fleet; and how many are fit for purpose.

Bob Ainsworth: The numbers of fast jet aircraft in the RAF, forward fleet and those fit for purpose are provided in the table. The figures shown are a snapshot of the position on 28 February 2009.
	
		
			  Aircraft type  Total fleet  Forward fleet  Fit for purpose 
			 Typhoon 53 35 20 
			 Tornado GR4 138 81 61 
			 Tornado F3 69 35 26 
			 Harrier 74 49 44 
			 Hawk T1 132 80 68 
			 Hawk T2 6 0 0 
		
	
	The number of aircraft in the forward fleet comprises aircraft which are serviceable and those which are short-term unserviceable. Short term unserviceable aircraft are undergoing minor works, forward maintenance or any other unforeseen rectification work that can arise on a day-to-day basis. Serviceable aircraft available to the front line commands for operational and training purposes are termed fit for purpose. Aircraft which are undergoing major servicing or routine maintenance are within the depth fleet and are therefore not relevant to this question.
	Although delivery of six Hawk T2 has been accepted they have not yet been released to service.